


Bloodlines

by Dreamwvr73



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-05 00:42:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17908796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamwvr73/pseuds/Dreamwvr73
Summary: The Vikings are in Fillory to establish a relationship with the flourishing kingdom. When the king questions the lineage of High Queen Margo, will there be peace or war between the two kingdoms?Author’s Notes: This is for the Welter’s Challenge Trials Big Bang, Tier 1! I don’t own The Magicians, they were created by much cooler people than me, but I thank them!





	Bloodlines

Bloodlines

Author: Dreamwvr73 (HiQueenBambiWaugh)

Fandom: The Magicians 

Genre: AU, some canon events included 

Word Count: 13000 +

Warnings: Possible triggers for child abuse, some mention of violence and domestic violence, warning for language 

Summary: The Vikings are in Fillory to establish a relationship with the flourishing kingdom. When the king questions the lineage of High Queen Margo, will there be peace or war between the two kingdoms?

Author’s Notes: This is for the Welter’s Challenge Trials Big Bang (2017), Tier 1! I don’t own The Magicians, they were created by much cooler people than me, but I thank them! 

Castle Whitespire was quiet for the night, and the only light that shone was from the torches along the wall. High Queen Margo’s black boots made echoing footfalls as she walked down the hall. The high queen wore a black silky shirt with gold sparkles all over it; her pants were black with gold piping down the legs.  
Margo was muttering to herself as she stomped down the hall, then finally arrived at her destination: Eliot’s common room with its solid oak double doors. Margo gripped the cold gold handles, opened the doors, and poked her head in. There sat her husband Eliot in his favorite grey paisley outfit, his dark head slumped to one side. Clearly, the high king had been working late and had fallen asleep at his table.  
“Oh Baboo…” Margo sighed as her anger bled out of her and she stepped into the room. She did an about face then closed the doors behind her. She crossed the room and went over to Eliot’s thick and heavy wooden chair. Eliot’s head lolled, and there was heavy stubble along his cheeks and neck, a sign of how hard he had been working.  
Awww poor baby. She thought to herself. He works so hard…  
“El, wake up.” She gently touched his face and straightened his head. The motion and touch made Eliot’s eyes open, and the exhausted amber depths peered at her.  
“Bambi-” He said, bringing one big hand up and rubbing it across his face. “What time is it?”  
“After midnight.” She turned to see the papers scattered all the shining surface of Eliot’s table.  
“Christ, its late. A queen in your condition should be resting.”  
“And what about you?” Margo motioned to Eliot’s round belly. “Idri didn’t just knock me up you realize.”  
“I prefer the term with child, thank you very much.” Eliot swatted at her hand then gently touched his belly rubbing it. His thoughts drifted back to the night both he and Margo got pregnant. Shortly after the quadruple wedding, the royals had gone to the Outer Isles for their honeymoon. A rare moon had occurred on the island, and the resulting threesome between Margo, Eliot, and Idri, had resulted in the high king and high queen getting pregnant. The shock of being pregnant had shocked Eliot so much the high king had nearly fainted, but the specialness of it slowly won over his fear. Eliot’s thoughts snapped back to the present.  
“Quentin and Gabriel?” Eliot asked as he stood up.  
“Got back a few minutes ago, which is why I’m here. Can’t go to bed without the high king.”  
“Fine,” Eliot sighed. “Our bed is a lot more comfortable than that chair.” He touched his hands to his lower back and leaned back, stretching.  
“God, my back is killing me.” He groaned.  
“The baby is putting pressure on your spine.” Margo stepped behind him and rubbed his lower back. “And wearing those boots isn’t helping either.”  
“Me without my boots? You might as well ask me to run around naked.” Eliot pouted.  
“For Christ’s sake El, you’re already ten feet tall, do you really need the help? You look like a curly, hairy tree!”  
Eliot sighed. “Bambi, sweetie, can we talk about this later? I’m too tired to tongue battle with you.”  
Margo nodded then slipped her arms around his waist, her cheek pressed into his back.  
“Sorry, just tired too. Let’s go cuddle with our trio of hot husbands waiting for us in the royal bed chamber.”  
“That’s the best idea ever.” Eliot slipped his arm around Margo, then the two of them headed out of Eliot’s common room.  
***** *********** **********  
The sound of the shower turned off and a few moments later, the bathroom door opened. King Idri wore a white robe, his dark skin shining from the shower. He had a thick white towel in his hands and used it to dry off the top of his smooth head. Sitting on the king-size bed were Quentin and Gabriel, the two men in robes, one blue and one grey. Quentin’s hair was almost to his shoulders, and the silver streak in his bangs drew Idri’s dark eyes. The younger man was reading a book and then turned to look at him.  
“Hey, ready for bed?” Quentin set his leather journal book aside.  
Idri then shifted his gaze to Gabriel, and if there was one unusual choice for a husband Eliot had made, it was Gabriel MacKenzie . Half witch and half magician, Gabriel was 6 feet tall, had broad shoulders, long legs, and the build of a California surfer with a shaggy mop of blonde hair. Gabriel’s handsome face and strong jaw was only accentuated by his light blue eyes, and a perfect bright smile that could easily earn him top billing in a Hollywood movie. Though despite his good looks, the combination of power he had was unprecedent, and he could perform spells with ease and talent. Eliot and Gabriel had met after Eliot was newly crowned the high king of Fillory. Adjusting to his new role was not an easy one, and Eliot had made frequent trips to earth. During one such short trip home, Gabriel had crossed his path in New York City, and it was love at first sight for them both. Idri stepped closer to the bed close to the two men.  
“I’m ready for bed, and perhaps more.” He reached out and ran his finger along Quentin’s silver streak, a permanent reminder of when Quentin had faced down the fairy queen some months earlier, then leaned in and kissed him gently. Quentin returned it, blushing as he tucked a stray hair behind his ear. Idri then turned and captured Gabriel’s lips in a deep kiss; the young man returned it and began opening the tie on Idri’s robe.  
“Mmmhpp!” Idri broke the kiss and laughed as he gently gripped Gabriel’s hand. “Patience my husband, we must wait for our other spouses.”  
Gabriel pouted as he got up. “Then let me go get them,” He tightened the tie on his grey robe and rounded the bed.  
He was about to open the doors when they opened on their own, and there stood the high king and high queen. “Shit! I was just coming to get you.” Gabriel tugged them both inside, and into his arms. “Mmmmm. Now that is what I need,” Gabriel nudged both of their heads.  
“Yeah…” Quentin sighed as he watched. “Oh Gabriel, would you quit being a spog?”  
Margo dropped her arms from Gabriel’s waist. “Quentin, what the hell is a spog?”  
“Spouse hog.” Eliot answered for her then kissed Gabriel before stepping away from him. He went over to Quentin and slipped an arm around his waist.  
“Don’t worry Quenny, plenty of me to go around.” Eliot drew Quentin’s head to his chest and closed his eyes.  
“Spog,” Gabriel made a face then closed and locked the double bedroom doors. “You make me sound like Smaug’s country cousin.”  
“Come and help me get undressed, Spog.” Margo wrinkled her nose at him then went to the walk-in closet. She opened the doors and stepped inside. Gabriel grinned and followed her into it, the double doors closing behind them both.  
Quentin closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Eliot’s long, lean body in his arms and how his growing belly only accentuated his lovely shape. Oh, Ember, I love him so much. Quentin thought, then remembered the first time he had seen Eliot lying on top of the Brakebills sign. I thought he was a hallucination, and then part of me prayed he wasn’t because I fell in love with him in that moment.  
“Quentin, if we stay like this much longer I’ll be asleep on my feet.” Eliot’s voice broke Quentin out of his thoughts and let go of him.  
“Sorry, sorry, just…” Quentin backed off fast.  
“Just what?” Eliot asked as he gently removed his crown and set it on the special purple velvet pillow with gold piping that sat on top of one of the oak nightstands on both sides of the bed.  
“I like holding you.” Quentin said softly as he watched his spouse.  
Eliot smiled as he unbuttoned his grey paisley jacket. Ever since the group of magicians had decided to get married to be one happy polyamorous family, they had all taken a vow to have total honesty, no matter what. Though it had been tough for Quentin to be that open, he slowly had been learning to express how he felt to his spouses.  
“We have that meeting with the Vikings tomorrow, and we need to get some rest to make sure everything is ready. You know how anal Tick can be, and I don’t mean the good kind.” With that, Eliot climbed into the big bed and waved for his spouses to join him.  
The last of the torches blew out, and Whitespire was silent and peaceful as the royal family settled into bed.  
********** *********************  
The next morning dawned cold, and the servants bustled to make sure that all the rooms in the castle were warm, especially the throne room. Margo was up before dawn and had slipped out of the bedroom to oversee preparations. The Viking contingent was due by 10 am, and she wanted plenty of time to get the castle ready, and then to get dressed herself. Margo barked out orders wearing nothing but a pink silk robe and her crown, which made for an interesting sight. Finally, the food was being made, the throne room was being set up with a large table, and all the fancy gold plates, silverware, and goblets were being polished up and set onto it. Margo glanced over her shoulder at the clock on the wall, and with one hour to spare, she headed back into the royal bed chamber. The others were already up and fussing over their outfits, Eliot being the most vocal. The king-sized bed was covered with clothing and he held each item up to his long, frame.  
“Que, what do you think?” Eliot held up light grey pants with a white filmy shirt with see-through sleeves and heavy ruffles at the wrist. Quentin, who was all in black, looked at the outfit and shook his head.  
“The pants are nice, but the shirt…” He wrinkled his nose. “It’s too… um…” He tucked a stray hair behind his ear. Eliot blinked at him expectedly, wanting him to finish his thoughts.  
“Um what? What about the shirt?”  
“From what I hear, these Vikings are pretty tough, and that shirt screams more like you’re doing a revival of Pirates of Penzance.”  
“Nothing wrong with musical theater, Que but now is not the time for me to look like Rex Smith.” Eliot kept the pants but dropped the shirt on the bed and picked up a black silk shirt with a long black-and-grey tight-fitting coat with bright silver buttons.  
“Oh yes! Now this is butch!”  
Margo watched all this as she took her crown off her head and set it on the nightstand. She untied her robe and disappeared into her closet. Gabriel was in there with brown velvet pants on, and nothing else. Margo stopped a moment to admire his muscled chest and arms as he looked through the shirts. He pulled a tan paisley shirt out. One thing that most of the kingdom did not know about Gabriel was his fine sewing skills. Running a kingdom was a tough job, and the half warlock, half magician found sewing very soothing. He frequently made all the royals their clothing, and Eliot especially was delighted at his husband’s sewing ability.  
“What do you think, Margie?” He turned to look at her, the shirt up to his broad chest.  
“The shirt or everything else?” Margo smiled and went over to him. “You are a genius when it comes to making clothes, Gabriel, and I think you look hot.” The two briefly kissed, then she turned and pulled out a velvet dress with a gold-and-silver embroidered neckline. Gabriel had made her the dress, and a long velvet-and-gold overcoat that had the same embroidery as around the neck and down the sides of the dress to match it. Gabriel saw her choice and smiled.  
“You too.”  
“Where’s Idri?” Margo parted her robe and let it fall from her arms.  
“Idri went out with the knights to greet the Vikings. He wore the white leather and fur outfit I made for him, he looks quite regal.” Gabriel slipped the shirt on and began buttoning it up. He watched as Margo choose her bra and panties and saw how furrowed her brow was.  
“Margo… it’s going to be okay.” Gabriel stepped closer to her and touched her shoulders.  
“It’s just—this is our first meeting with these guys, and from what we’ve heard, if they don’t make peace, they invade and slaughter. I’m pregnant and El is pregnant, so what if they think we’re easy prey?”  
“You know I enchanted all these clothes, no one is going to see the babies, and Eliot can be tough when it comes to protecting his home.”  
“You’re right.” Margo straightened her spine and took a deep breath. “I better hurry, I need to make sure Tick has everything ready.”  
**** ***** *************  
The sounds of marching echoed through the castle, and it made all the royals immediately stop what they were doing. In the throne room, Margo and Eliot glanced at each other.  
“Did we stumble into the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?”  
Eliot wrinkled his nose. “Please, I wouldn’t be caught dead on 6th Avenue.”  
The sounds grew louder until they were right outside the double doors. Everyone straightened their spines and Margo reached out to take Eliot’s hand, giving it a squeeze. He turned to look at her and smiled, then focused his attention on the doors as they opened. The knights were in blue tunics with the Fillorian crest on their chests and long navy blue matching cloaks, their swords at their sides. Idri’s expression was one one of pride as he escorted half a dozen burly men in. They resembled the starting lineup of a football team with their body size, all of them in various colors of velvet, leather, and chain mail. The leader was tall, with a heavy black beard and shoulder-length curly hair that matched. He had cat-like green eyes and a giant broad sword at his side. He wore solid black with a matching cloak and a heavy gold and jewel-encrusted necklace around his neck.  
Idri took him to the base of the stairs then turned to Margo and Eliot.  
“High King Eliot, High Queen Margo… may I present King Crissimar.” The burly man bowed his head but casually moved one hand to the hilt of his big sword.  
The knights, who were surrounding the stage where the royals sat, all reacted to the move. In one swift movement, the men all drew their swords and pointed them right at the Viking king. The air in the throne room suddenly grew thick with tension. A tall knight with long blond hair moved to the front: he, too, had his sword drawn and moved closer to the king.  
“Your sword, Your Majesty. You were permitted to keep it by King Idri, but only if you showed no threat with it.”  
King Crissimar slowly raised his hand, palm up. “Forgiveness Sir Knight. You may take my sword and those of my men.”  
“May I introduce Sir Alex. He personally guards the royal family.” Eliot said, and Alex gave the Viking a quick, shallow bow.  
“The Fillorian knights are here for our protection and yours.” Eliot glanced to the other knights, who then looked to Alex, who nodded. The half dozen men, including King Crissimar, were stripped of their weapons before they stepped back.  
King Crissimar straightened as Sir Alex removed his sword, then raised his chin. Eliot saw the look on the Viking king’s face and wondered if he was offended. Once the knights moved back with the weapons, he seemed to ease down.  
“You have strong knights and good instincts, King Eliot, I know how I will be safe here. A pleasure to meet you both.” Crissimar’s light green eyes slid to Margo. He stared at her long enough for Margo to shift her stance a little.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” Margo said as he continued to stare. She flicked her gaze to Eliot.  
“King Crissimar, are you admiring my queen’s beauty or is there something else on your mind? You’ve hardly taken your eyes off her.”  
Crissimar finally shifted his gaze to Eliot. “News of how you became the king of Fillory has spread far and wide. Everyone knows how you were given the knife test, and your royal blood was revealed. However, what is not known is the blood status of the High Queen.”  
Crissimar’s men began to murmur behind him, and everyone turned their gaze to Margo. Margo bristled at the attention and stepped forward.  
“If you have something to say King Crissimar, you can say it to me.”  
Eliot nodded. “Margo is the High Queen, I can assure you she is worthy of the crown.”  
The men again began to whisper, and the world stafkarl was heard. Sir Alex frowned as he heard it and he gave a look to Eliot.  
“Sir Alex?” Eliot waved him closer, and the knight marched up the stairs to where Eliot stood. He leaned in to whisper to him.  
“The word they keep using is Old Norse, it means tramp.” Everyone watched as the blond man conferred with the king. Eliot’s amber eyes suddenly turned fiery and his jaw instantly clenched.  
“King Crissimar, do you question the virtue of the High Queen?”  
“Of course not, King Eliot.” Crissimar gave Eliot his most charming smile.  
“Then why does my Head Knight tell me that the word tramp is what your men are whispering?”  
“Tramp?” Margo put her hands on her hips. “You think I’m a tramp?”  
King Eliot turned to look at Margo and discreetly shifted his weight. Though he wore shielded clothing to hide his pregnancy, the magic could not help the muscles of his lower back, which were starting to get tired. But he was not about to show any hint or pain or weakness in the presence of the Vikings.  
“You dare insult the High Queen?” Quentin stepped forward, his brown eyes burning with fury. “You come into our kingdom and make an accusation like that?”  
“We do not look kindly on future allies insulting our spouse.” Gabriel too was on his feet.  
Margo looked at Eliot, who put his hands up.  
“We must have peace between our two kingdoms, and this is certainly off to a bang-up start.” He sighed and looked back to Crissimar.  
“What can we do to prove to you that High Queen Margo is not some…” He looked at Alex.  
“Stafkarl.” Alex said, and Eliot wrinkled his nose.  
“Stafkarl? Sounds like a venereal disease.” Eliot said, and Margo stared daggers at him. “As I was saying, how can we prove to you that Queen Margo is not some stafkarl in a crown?”  
One of Crissimar’s men stepped closer and the Viking king turned so the two could speak. They were speaking Old Norse, and trying to keep it low enough so Alex could not hear them. Finally, the two men turned back to Eliot.  
“We have a test for blood purity, much as the one you took, King Eliot. Permit us to test the High Queen, and then the peace process can go forward.”  
“And where is this test?” Margo said. Crissimar pretended not to hear her and addressed Eliot.  
“The blade and test can be brought from our land, we can send a message and it will take one day for it to arrive.”  
“That’s fine.” Eliot stood. “Sir Alex, escort the king and his men to the guest quarters, and post double guards outside the room.”  
“Yes, My King.” Alex bowed and motioned to the knights, who formed and escort around King Crissimar and his men. The double doors were then opened, and the group of men all headed out.  
******** ************ ***********  
After the confrontation in the throne room, the castle and kingdom were abuzz from what had happened with the Viking contingent. Every time the high queen walked into a room, it went instantly silent, and people would lean in close to whisper to each other. Finally, Margo had enough of the whispering and retired to the royal bedchamber, blaming her pregnancy for her absence. The weather outside had turned to snow, and she stood at the window, watching it fall. Having changed out of her clothes, she was back in her pink robe, her crown absent from her head. She sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest. The snow was beginning to cover everything in white, making Fillory look pure and innocent.  
“Penny for your thoughts?” A voice said from the door, Margo turned to see Quentin come in and close and lock the double doors.  
“No…. I’m not that cheap, despite rumors to the contrary.”  
“What do you mean?” Quentin asked as he went over by the window and stood behind her. His fine-boned hands touched her shoulders and rubbed them.  
Margo closed her eyes, trying to let Quentin’s touch soothe her. “Come on, Quentin, you’re not deaf or dumb! You heard what everyone’s been saying.” She said softly. “Good King Crissimar has me pegged as nothing more than a whore in a crown.”  
“Margo, of course you’re not. Don’t ever say anything like that ever again!” He turned her around to they were face to face. “You’re the High Queen of Fillory.” The tips of his fingers brushed her cheek.  
“And, you’re about to become a mother, and I know you’ll be amazing at that too.”  
Margo’s eyes grew bright. “Thank you, Quentin.” Quentin hugged her tight.  
“I’m going to let you rest, okay?” He pulled back and touched her hair.  
Margo reached up to touch his hand then stood on her tip toes and kissed him gently, then touched her forehead to his. “I love you, Quentin.”  
“To the moon and back.” Quentin said then kissed the tip of her nose. He then took her by the hand, led her over to the big bed, pulled the duvet back, and helped her into it.  
“There!” He adjusted the plush purple comforter over her, then gently removed her crown and set it on her nightstand. “Get some rest.”  
Margo turned on her right side, then she grabbed one of Eliot’s velvet purple pillows, pressed it into her chest, and closed her eyes as memories of chanting children filled her mind.  
“Hey Shorty, smile so we can see you! The sun went down!”  
“Margo Fargo, pudding and pie, her mom got knocked up by an unknown guy!”  
“No one wanted you, Margo the Maggot! That’s why no one knows who your parents are!”  
Margo whimpered in her sleep and turned. She had been sent to an orphanage when she was about two and had arrived on the doorstep of a police station with nothing but a small gold box with strange symbols carved into its tarnished surface she wore on a chain around her neck. Margo had absolutely no memory at all of either her mother or her father. Though despite their best efforts at detective work, the orphanage workers and the Department of Children’s Services were unable to find out anything about the little lost toddler they now had charge of. With local foster homes being filled to their capacity, the only place left for Margo to go was the Brooklyn Orphanage.  
The box Margo had been abandoned with sat in her nightstand in a small lockbox, but she never looked at it because all it did was frustrate her. Margo had shown it to everyone she thought could help decipher it, but no one recognized the symbols. Despite its somewhat frail and weathered appearance, the box could withstand tools, lock picks, keys of every shape and size, and most of all, magic. Margo herself had tried to open the box with magic, but it had no effect. Finally, out of sheer annoyance, Margo had dropped the box in another lock box and put it in her nightstand. The only person who knew anything about Margo’s past was Eliot, and even though he knew about the box, she had never shown it to him.  
“Darkie Darkie 2 by 4, daddy’s a druggie and mommy’s a whore! No one wants to see you live, the nurse will give you a sedative!” The echoing memories of cruel chants grew louder and louder, causing Margo to groan and whimper in her sleep as she tossed and turned. The double doors of the royal bed chamber opened, and a dark curly head poked in. Eliot came into the room quietly, then shut the double doors behind him.  
“Margo the Maggot! Margo the Maggot!” Eliot heard the echo in his head thanks to his telekinesis, and his powers gave him flashes of a young Margo, surrounded by a circle of nasty-looking children that were shoving her around. He then turned to see Margo thrashing about on the bed and rushed over to her.  
“Margo…” He reached out and gently shook her. “Come on Sweetie, don’t let those nasty little miscreants get to you!” Eliot shook her again, a little harder this time, his fingers pressing into her flesh.  
“Margo!” The kids’ voices dissolved into a voice she recognized, and she suddenly sat up to come face to face with Eliot.  
“Baboo…” She whispered before she burst into tears, covering her face. Eliot sighed as he drew her to his chest and held her.  
“Shhhh, it’s all right. You were dreaming.” Eliot said as he stroked the back of her head.  
“King Crissimar wants to know where I came from El, how can I tell him when I don’t even fucking know?” Margo sniffled. Eliot pursed his lips a moment then shrugged.  
“Then let’s go find out.”  
“What?” Margo pulled back to look up at him, her eyebrows furrowing.  
“The orphanage in Brooklyn was where you were before Henry found you on the streets, right?”  
“Yeah.” Margo wiped her face. “But after all this time?”  
“Worth a shot right? And… did you ever show him your little lock box?”  
“Yeah, but he’s just as clueless about it as everyone else.” Margo sighed. Eliot saw the conflict on her face and he touched her cheek.  
“You are Margo, you are fabulous, and it’s time we found out just how fabulous you really are. Crissimar isn’t the only one that’s going to have questions.” His hand slid from her cheek then came to rest on her small belly. “Maybe it’s time all of us got some answers.” Eliot said softly.  
********* ************  
Little Lamb Orphans Home sat close to Upper Bay and was a red brick building built so long ago that it was now a faded orange color. There were two giant equally orange brick smoke stacks behind it, and from a distance, the building looked like a factory from the early 1900’s. The home had closed down a few years earlier, and now it was used for the Department of Children’s Services records storage. Margo stared up at the building, her heart sinking into her shoes. Though dressed in a loose black sweater, black jeans, and knee-high black suede boots, she felt like a five year old once again.  
“Why do I feel like I should be wearing coveralls and a miner’s helmet?” Margo jumped as Eliot spoke beside her. The temperature was more than a bit crisp in New York, and Eliot dressed for it with a grey baggy cable knit turtle neck sweater, light plum colored slacks, and a dark-grey long wool coat with the collar turned up.  
“What?” Margo asked.  
“I said, I feel like I’m in the musical revival of Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Eliot wrinkled his nose as he looked at the building. “Or like I need a long, hot, shower.”  
“I feel like I need more than that.” Margo sighed and ran a hand over her belly.  
“Where did they keep the records in this place?” Eliot asked as he slipped a supportive arm around her shoulders.  
“The orphanage records were kept in the attic, I doubt they changed that.” Margo leaned into Eliot.  
“Shall we Abracadabra our way up there?” Eliot looked down at her. He saw the look on her face and gently kissed her forehead. “Courage, Bambi.”  
“Trying.” Margo met his gaze. “Let’s get up there.”  
Eliot let go of her and the two turned to face one another. They rubbed their hands together, then made a square with their hands then opened it, and formed a rainbow shape over their heads. The air around them rippled, and a moment later, the duo appeared in the attic of the ancient brick building. The overpowering aroma of dust hit Eliot so hard that he began to sneeze uncontrollably. Margo began to wheeze; she formed a circle with her thumb and index finger, then blew a bubble from it that encapsulated them both. No longer inhaling dust and mold, the two began to calm down. Eliot plucked a monogrammed handkerchief from his inner jacket pocket and touched it to his nose.  
“Thank you, Honey. I think I can breathe again.”  
“Me too, but you’re not the only one that needs a long, hot shower now.” Margo said as they both turned to survey the room. There were big industrial-size black metal shelves that covered every wall surface of the attic. The big brown boxes had white labels on them with a computer printout of a year, the name of a children’s home, and the office whose jurisdiction it was under. Eliot looked the files up and down.  
“Accio Margo’s file!” He shouted, and Margo rolled her eyes.  
“Really, King? Really?” Margo put her hands on her hips, her brown eyes fiery as she stared at Eliot. He winced at her flare of temper.  
“Sorry… but I’ve always wanted to do that.”  
“Yeah. I get it, Eliot Potter, but it didn’t work.” Margo sighed as she looked over all the shelves. “You start at that end, I’ll start over here. We need to go back 10 years minimum.”  
“You were there for over 12 years.” Eliot said as he walked to the other side of the room.  
“I know, but who knows if they kept good records or not.” Margo in the opposite direction and started looking over all the boxes.  
“Come on…come on…” Margo said to herself as she began looking over all the labels. The writing was faded, dusty, and difficult to read. Some of the shelves were too high to see despite her heels, so she closed her eyes and levitated two feet off the floor. Finally, the boxes at the top were in view and she read each one over before moving to the next set of three that were stacked on top of one another. Margo reached out and slid one box aside, getting a blast of dust right in her face.  
“Goddamn it!” She started sneezing with such force that it made her start to bounce around the room like a deflating balloon. Margo zipped right into Eliot, who neatly caught her.  
“Okay, flying queen!”  
Margo held onto Eliot and opened her mouth to thank him when another powerful sneeze knocked them both of them into a shelf with such force that it made the whole structure shake. Eliot slid to the ground, his legs spread in a V shape, and Margo settled between them with her back to his chest.  
“Well, that was dramatic!”  
A box at the top of the shelf teetered a bit, came tumbling down, and busted open right in front of them.  
“Sorry, El, I got a noseful of dust!” Margo brushed her fingers under her nose to scratch it, then glanced at the papers that were all over the floor. She was about to swear when she saw the name on the box.  
“That’s it!” Margo got up fast and began sorting through the scattered papers. She set the box right side up and began pulling files out of it. Finally, she found a file on the bottom of the box dated 12 years ago.  
“Jane Doe, age around 2.” Margo began to read out loud, then shifted from her knees to sit on the dusty floor.  
“You didn’t even have a name?” Eliot took the now-empty box and put all the files back in it.  
“I… I guess I didn’t.” Margo read the first page she found, then shuffled to the next one. Her brow was furrowed, and Eliot had never seen her look so serious or be so quiet.  
“Margo? Bambi?” Eliot said softly, then reached out to touch her knee, which made her jump.  
“Sorry.” He said as he slid his hand away, but then she grabbed it with her hand.  
“They named me.” Margo said softly, then her dark eyes raised to meet Eliot’s amber.  
“I was found covered in blood.” She handed him the paper that was labeled Police Report.  
“Says you were found wandering this abandoned neighborhood in Brooklyn.” Eliot read from the paper. “You kept pointing to a house, but when the cops busted in, all they found was blood everywhere and no trace of any bodies.” He lifted his gaze, the amber depths bright with both sympathy and sadness.  
“They never knew what happened, but you were the only survivor.”  
Margo signed, her dark head bowing. “Maybe, I’m just not meant to know.”  
“Margo…” Eliot set the paper down and drew his spouse into a hug. “No matter what, Margo Jane Waugh, you are the High Queen of Fillory and we all love you. The people of Fillory love you too, and frankly, fuck Crissimar and his horned assholes!”  
“Eliot, we can’t say Fuck Crissimar!” Margo sniffled and wiped her face. “We need them to be our allies or they’ll invade Fillory. You know this!”  
“He called the High Queen of Fillory a whore, and I should slit his throat for that!” Eliot snapped, and then he deflated and sighed. “We’re boned without lube either way, aren’t we?”  
“No. You know what, El? I am the High Queen, and I deserve to wear the crown!” Margo smoothed her hair back. “And if I have to defend it, I will!”  
Margo got to her feet as she gently tugged Eliot up too, then stared up at him.  
“I want to do what’s best for our home, Baboo.” She said firmly.  
“If High Queen Margo Waugh wants to fight for her kingdom, and what is best for her people, then it’s always the right decision.” Eliot said, then kissed her cheek.  
Margo nodded, but then she went over to the window and stared out across the street. She saw another fading red brick building and an old memory flashed in her mind.  
“Wait…what?” She muttered, and Eliot joined her.  
“What is it?”  
Margo raised her hand and her red painted nail tapped the dirty, dusty glass. “Do you see that building over there?”  
“The disgusting one that looks like one good windstorm will make it collapse?” Eliot wrinkled his nose at the dust on the windows.  
“Yeah! I remember it. Something about it is really familiar.” Margo’s hand drifted down to touch her small belly and she rubbed it.  
“Well, since this little trip to Dusty Land is mostly a bust…”  
“Wouldn’t hurt to check it out.”  
“Okay, I’m easy.” Eliot said, and Margo turned and wrapped her arms around his waist.  
“Of course you are, but I love you anyway.” She stood on her tiptoes and gave his lips a brief kiss.

************* *******************

The building across the compound was the same faded orange brick as its neighbor. However, it was in much worse condition with the bricks cracked and crumbling, and one half of it was sagging where the New York weather had taken its toll on the structure. The high queen and high king had chosen to go around the back of the building, which was not the part of that was sagging, and had found a door partially hanging off its hinges. With a well-aimed magical missile from Eliot’s palm, the door was sent flying, and Margo carefully stepped over the threshold and stepped inside.  
“Oh, for fuck’s sake!” She said as she walked in and stood awe struck at the rows of stacked-up metal beds that filled half the room. The white paint was chipping off in big chunks that covered the floor, and the beds themselves were rusting and becoming twisted from the humidity in the air. There were huge chunks of plaster from both the walls and the ceilings on the floor too, and the smell in the air was thick with mold and dust.  
“Jesus…” The sound of Eliot’s voice beside her made Margo jump about a foot in the air, and she whipped around to see him standing next to her, his nose wrinkled.  
“You grew up in the Chamber of Secrets?”  
“More like the Chamber of Horrors.” Margo whispered as she looked around. She could hear the echoes of the kids that made fun of her, and she reached down to rub at her own belly.  
“Used to cry myself to sleep every night in one of those rotting beds.”  
Eliot watched her with a touch of concern. The Margo he knew that could command a room with the quick sashay of her walk was gone, replaced by this tiny woman stuck in her past.  
“And now you have a royal bedchamber you share with four hot men.” Eliot said, and it made Margo blink and turn to look at him. “Sorry, Baboo. Just…felt like that little girl again.” Margo sighed and straightened her spine as she took Eliot by the hand, and they began to look around.  
“So much bigger than I remember it.” Margo squeezed Eliot’s hand as they carefully stepped around the huge stacks of metal beds. A staircase was on the far left side of the room, and the two stopped at the bottom of them. The wooden stairs were leaning over a little, the paint was cracking, and Eliot shook his head.  
“No way Sweetie, we’re pregnant and this looks like a Final Destination scene waiting to happen, so I have another idea.” Eliot stepped back and held out his hands. Margo smiled as she faced Eliot, and slipped her small hands into his. The high king closed his eyes, and a wind began to blow through the old building, which made it whistle and howl. Margo and Eliot slowly rose in the air higher and higher until they were able to come down gently onto the second level of the building. The staircase groaned under their feet, and shook a little, but seemed to be much more stable than the staircase. Margo lost her footing a little, but Eliot still had her hands and steadied her.  
“Geez, been awhile since you did that.” Margo let go of his hands and headed down the hall that had doors on the left side.  
“One of these used to be my room.” She stopped at the fourth door down and tipped her head to one side. “Something else…” Margo turned to Eliot. “I know there was another door here, like a small storeroom.” She went over to a wall at the end of the row, and it had blue and white striped wallpaper that was speckled with rust spots from the pipes behind the walls. Margo reached out to place her palm on the paper, and part of it flaked off. She brushed off her hands.  
“Gross!”  
“Here, let me.” Eliot said, then he rubbed his hands together and formed a square with his thumbs and index fingers. He raised the square up to his face and peered through it at the wall and saw a small room with boxes that was similar to what was across the compound.  
“You’re right, there’s a small room back there.” Eliot said as he lowered his hands.  
“Looks like there’s boxes of files.” Eliot went over to the wall and tapped it, listening for a place he could break. He found a hollow-sounding place near the middle and waved for Margo to step back. Eliot tutted, then clapped his palms together then opened them, and a small magical missile emerged from his palm to strike that section of the wall. The wall blew apart with bits of the plaster, wood, and paint erupting out of it. Margo and Eliot both turned away, waiting for the air to clear, then stepped closer when it finally did. Eliot bent over a little to see the old white door with a tarnished brass door knob. Eliot put one long arm into the small hole, turned the knob, then pulled the door back. The ancient door creaked, but then the hinges gave, and the paneling over it broke off and fell to the floor.  
“Thank you, Oh Mighty Hercules.” Margo teased as she stepped around him then into the hidden room.  
“Please, like I’d be caught dead in a toga!” Eliot brushed the dust, paint, and bits of plaster off his sleeve then followed her. The room was in the same terrible condition as the rest of the building with its holey walls, holey ceiling, paint chips all over the floor that creaked badly with every step they took. The only difference was the north wall of the dilapidated room had three dark grey filing cabinets that were rusting and leaning a little from their weight affecting the floor on which they sat.  
“Okay, you start on the left cabinet, I’ll start on the right cabinet, and then we’ll meet in the middle.”  
“If the cabinets don’t crash through the floor, you mean?” Eliot said as he went to the right cabinet, gripped the tarnished handle, then tugged open the drawer. A cloud of dust came out of the drawer and Eliot turned his face away and coughed.  
“Jesus! I’ve inhaled enough lint, paint, and dust to sneeze a house out of my nose.” Eliot then focused his attention back on the files and began flipping through the sections that had faded tags with faded letters written on them. Next to him, Margo had tugged open her drawer and was sorting as well.  
“Cathy Ryerson.” She said out loud, then stopped a moment as memories began to fill her mind. She saw a sandy-haired, green-eyed girl with freckles on her nose.  
“I remember her.” Margo looked at Eliot.  
“She vanished one day.”  
“Vanished? Like kidnapped or something?” Eliot’s amber eyes looked concerned.  
“I don’t know, I guess they figured she ran off.” Margo flipped to the next file and saw another name.  
“Scott Smith.” Margo saw flashes of a young red-haired boy. “He was gone, too.”  
“That explains why they’re in here.” Eliot said. “Hiding their sins. It’s much easier to hide the files in here, and pretend the kids weren’t here, then to explain their negligence.” He pulled out a folder with Margo’s name on it. “Here’s yours.”  
Margo saw the faded yellow folder in Eliot’s big hands and closed her eyes. “I don’t know if I can look at it, El.” She said softly and turned away.  
“I can,” Eliot leaned down, kissed her cheek, then took the folder, opened it and took a few steps away from her as he read. “This file has more information about what happened when you were found.”  
“Like what?” Margo went over to him and looked at the file in his hands, then took it from him and glanced at its contents.  
“Elizabeth Arias Hanson was married to Peter Hanson for two years, but the marriage was unhappy and there were many visits by Child Protective Services.” Margo read more words and took in a big breath.  
“They found enough blood to draw the conclusion they were both killed, but no bodies.” She raised her gaze to Eliot, and there were tears in her eyes. “No information about them could be found but… at least I know their names.” She said, and Eliot drew her into a hug.  
“It’s all right Sweetie, whoever they were, I’m thankful for them both because I wouldn’t have my Bambi and queen if not for them, no matter what happened.”  
Margo closed the folder then wrapped her arms around Eliot. “Thanks, Sweetie.” She said softly, then pulled back.  
“Let’s just take the folder and go home. The Vikings are probably getting antsy.”  
“You’re not alone in this, Margo, I swear.” Eliot said softly and gently placed a hand on her cheek.

**** ******* *********  
Margo and Eliot arrived back in Fillory, but because of the time difference between Earth and the magical kingdom, it was very late at night. Gabriel, Idri, and Quentin were in their robes, pacing circles in the royal bedchamber. Quentin finally stopped and tucked the hair behind his ears.  
“Ugh, I hate this!” He said as he jammed his hands into the pockets of his tan robe.  
“We should have heard something by now!”  
Gabriel went over to his husband and took Quentin’s hands out of the pockets so he could hold them.  
“You know the time difference between here and Earth, and you know they had to do a little investigating about Margo’s past.” Gabriel touched Quentin’s chin and raised it so they were looking into each other’s eyes.  
“They’ll be home soon, okay?” Gabriel said to Quentin then looked at Idri, who nodded.  
“Our treasures will return to us soon.”  
“I know, but they’re both pregnant and…” Quentin started to speak when the double doors opened and Margo and Eliot stepped into the room. The High King and High Queen both looked weary, and the pair were instantly scooped up by their worried spouses.  
“Thank Ember!” Quentin said as he hugged Eliot to him. “Are you all right?”  
Eliot blinked at the fierce hug, but raised his arms to return it. “We’re okay, Quentin, just feel like I need a long hot shower. The buildings we were in were in a shambles and it’s a miracle they didn’t collapse with us inside of them.”  
Gabriel had his arms around Margo, and he saw the folder she carried. “Margo, what’s that?”  
“My past.” Margo said softly as she rested her head on Gabriel’s right shoulder.  
Idri stood between the two of them and placed a hand on each of their backs. “Your safe return makes my heart soar, my treasures. We were worried about you both.”  
“And the Vikings?” Eliot asked as the hug with Quentin ended and he began to take off his clothes.  
Gabriel let go of Margo and began to strip. “King Crissimar is in a guest room, and the rest of his men are bunking with the knights. Alex promised to keep a close eye on them.”  
“What about the test?” Margo took off her jacket and shirt, then crossed the room and dropped them both in her hamper.  
“Not sure really, King Crissimar said it was arriving and he claims it’ll be here by the tomorrow afternoon at the latest.”  
Margo heard this then went into the bathroom. The moment the door closed, Idri, Gabriel, and Quentin all turned to Eliot.  
“What happened?”  
“All you found was this one folder?”  
Eliot put his hand up. “Yeah all we found was that file. Margo just decided to take the test since we didn’t find anything else.” He striped out of his shirt. “Whatever happens with the Vikings happens, and we’ll deal with it from there.” Eliot said as he went into the bathroom to join Margo in the shower. 

***** ****** ******

The next morning dawned cold, and the quietness of Whitespire was interrupted by a lot of noise coming from the Vikings, who were eating breakfast and making themselves comfortable in the castle. King Crissimar was among the men as he sat in Eliot’s chair and ate a hearty porridge. The doors to the dining room opened and Elio and the other male kings entered. Crissimar saw Eliot and he stood up and moved out of the high king’s chair.  
“Good morning, King Eliot, King Idri, King Gabriel, and King Quentin.” He gave them a bow, and his men all stood and returned the respectful gesture.  
Eliot, dressed in a dark grey silk shirt and black-and-silver streaked pants with a matching jacket, cocked an eyebrow when he saw Crissimar in his chair.  
“Good morning.” Eliot’s gaze flicked to his chair, with its purple velvet backing, gold crown, and a carved E at the top. It was clear who the chair belonged to. He wanted to say something, but trying to keep the peace between the two kingdoms was foremost on his mind, so he held his tongue. Gabriel saw the look on Eliot’s face and he leaned in. “Sire, do you wish for me to fetch the Lysol?”  
“Do we have some?” Eliot said as he turned to look at him.  
“I think we do.” Gabriel said, but then Eliot put his hand up.  
“I have another solution.” Eliot reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a folded gold-and- purple embroidered hanky. He went over to his chair, unfolded it, then draped it over the seat.  
“Tea, please.” He said to a servant before he sat down gracefully and crossed his legs.  
King Crissimar chose another seat and sat down, watching as Eliot was given his tea and he doctored it with cream and sugar.  
“The test arrives today, King Eliot. Is the high queen prepared to take it?”  
Eliot lifted the delicate tea cup to his lips and had a sip then he cleared his throat.  
“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” He lifted his gaze and pointed with his chin to the doors of the dining room. Margo stood there in a purple-and-gold dress with a matching shawl, the material sparkling in the candlelight. She saw all eyes on her and raised her chin.  
“Whatever test you have for me King Crissimar, I will take for both myself and my kingdom. I’ve earned this crown and it is rightfully mine.” All the men in the room stood as Margo entered it, and she walked around the table to where Eliot stood. He held out his hand to her, a small smile of both pride and affection on his face. Margo slid her smaller hand into his, and he raised it to his lips in a kiss before guiding her to her chair beside his.  
“You look stunning.” Eliot said to her, and she winked at him.  
King Crissimar nodded. “I understand Queen Margo, and I hope for the sake of both our kingdoms this test goes well.”  
Margo’s gaze flicked to Crissimar as he spoke, then she looked at Eliot and the way he looked at her spoke volumes. You have our support Bambi, you are the High Queen of Fillory and your spouses and fellow monarchs support you. Margo stared at his handsome face then she suddenly turned to the Viking king.  
“You know something? The test doesn’t matter. If you want to negotiate a treaty between our worlds, then fine, we’ll talk all day long. If you don’t want to because I won’t let you bully me into some stupid test which, hello…” She pointed to her head where her crown gleamed in the candlelight. “Percy… who’s queen?”  
Margo spoke in a higher voice and both Eliot and Quentin looked at each other. Eliot sighed.  
“Blackadder…see? See your influence on the high queen?” He said to Quentin, who only grinned.  
“Hey! She’s a woman of taste and sophistication!”  
King Crissimar flicked a look and Eliot and Quentin, then it went back to Margo. “So, you will not take the test, Queen Margo?”  
Margo’s dark eyes turned fiery and she was about to open her mouth when Eliot squeezed her hand.  
“I’ll handle this, sweetie.” Eliot said, then turned to King Crissimar and flicked his hand. Magic burst from his fingertips and the word NO appeared in shimmering gold letters over their head, then burst into a shower of gold glitter and rained down on them all before vanishing.  
“As she said, we are welcome to negotiate peace between our worlds.”  
Margo leaned over and kissed his cheek, but the air in the room turned tense. King Crissimar’s face bore a deep scowl. He rose to his feet, and his men got up along with him. Before he could speak one word, Alex and the Fillorian knights quickly filed into the room and stood around the monarchs. Alex scowled as he watched King Crissimar and his hand went to his right side, where his thick broadsword was sheathed.  
“If you will excuse us, your majesties, my men and I must talk.” King Crissimar said, his spine was straight as a board as they all filed out of the room.

**** *********** ***********

King Crissimar returned to the guest room he had been given. Located in the west wing, it was a modest room with grey stone walls that were covered by tapestries that depicted the woods, Whitespire, the village, and of course, the royals. Crissimar was in a heavy brown fur cloak, and he untied it hastily and dropped it on the big bed in the center of the room. The king began to pace, and his big thick boots made a low booming noise in the room.  
“How dare she mock our test!” He said to himself, then went to the fireplace and waved his hand. It burst into big flames and he stood there a moment, warming his hands. A knock on the door raised his head and he scowled.  
“Telanor, that better be you!” He barked, then turned, strode over to the door, and almost yanked it off its hinges. A small man with thick round glasses and a black fur outfit stood there and he bowed. He had a wooden chest in his hands.  
“The test arrived, Sire.” He said, then dared to shift his gaze to the scowling face of the Viking king. Telanor had served Crissimar since he was a teenager, and the small, boney man with a big nose, thick round black framed glasses, and a thin body looked more like a rat on two legs than a human.  
“It’s about time!” Crissimar grabbed the chest and yanked at it, which not only gave him the chest, but tugged Telanor into the room. The thick door was kicked shut and Telanor went over to the fire to warm himself.  
“Forgiveness, your majesty, but a terrible storm delayed our returning here, and you know magic does not work to cross the Lonely Sea.” He stretched his hands out to the fire and sighed at the warmth.  
“Snow has also begun to fall, which also made the crossing treacherous.”  
“Yes, yes, I know there were delays.” Crissimar went over to the table and chairs set in the corner of the room and set the chest down. He folded his hands palm to palm, then opened them over the chest and whispered a spell. The metal on the box began to glow, and the chest promptly popped open.  
“Yes….” King Crissimar said as he reached into the glowing chest and pulled out a dagger of pure gold and held it up. “Such a beauty you are.” He whispered as his gaze traveled along its long smooth glinting surface.  
Telanor watched how Crissimar admired the knife. “What is your plan, Sire?”  
“Oh…” He said with a smile. “The high queen and I have a date.”

*** ********* ************

The Vikings were quiet the rest of the day, but for the most part, they had accepted Margo’s decision about foregoing the test. Finally, around supper time, the tension in the castle settled down, and the monarchs and Vikings were able to enjoy a nice dinner of brazed beef, roasted potatoes, steamed veggies, and plenty of wine. King Crissimar seemed the most cooperative and festive, but the knights were posted around the castle to ensure everything was calm and peaceful. Despite the fact things with King Crissmar seemed settled, the trip to New York, and the tension of everything left Margo feeling a little worn out. Outside, the weather had turned for the worst, and snow began to fall. After standing at the dining room windows and watching her kingdom turn white, Margo went over to Eliot.  
“Sweetie, I hope you don’t mind, but I need a hot bath and some tea.” She said as she took his hand. He squeezed it and tugged her closer so he could whisper in her ear.  
“Proud of you, bitch.” Eliot whispered in her ear, then kissed her cheek.  
“Thanks, Sweetie.” Margo said, kissing him back as she moved away and casually slipped out of the room. Telanor’s beady little eyes watched as Margo left, and he skittered over to his master then practically slithered to his side.  
“Queen Margo has left.” He said to Crissimar, who was enjoying a gold goblet full of ale.  
“Good eyes. I didn’t even see her leave.”  
“I have watched her the whole time, My Lord.” Telanor said with a hint of desire for Margo in his black eyes.  
“Of course you have, she’s a beautiful woman.” Crissimar downed the rest of his ale then casually set the goblet down. He gave a nod to his men as he made his way to the door. The number of men in the room made it hard to keep an eye on everyone, but not only did Alex and his knights keep watch, but there were powerful wards in the castle that acted like intruder alarms. Eliot sat on his throne watching, sipping from goblet of honey wine. Alex made his way over to him and leaned over.  
“Sire, do you think Crissimar is up to something?”  
The high king cleared his throat and nodded. “I’m certain of it, but the wards are tightened. He won’t be able to do much without us knowing.” Alex turned to look at him.  
“The alarm wards?” He asked, and Eliot gave a small smile.  
“I’m both beauty and brains combined, Sir Knight.” 

******** ************* ********

Margo entered the royal bed chamber and took off her crown. She put it on one of the purple pillows Eliot kept for all their crowns, and she took a moment to rub at her lower back.  
“Ohhh baby, you are hard on Mama’s back.” Margo closed her eyes and bent backwards a little to stretch, then unzipped her black dress. She wore a dress Gabriel had made for her, black with interwoven gold thread that glinted in the light. Gabriel created a long skirt too, and she also unzipped that and let it puddle at her feet. Now clad in just a bra and panties, Margo sat on the edge of the bed and leaned over to open her nightstand. She took out the tarnished lock box and held it in her hands, turning it over.  
“My stint as Nancy Drew didn’t go over so well.” She sighed, then set the box on the edge of the nightstand.  
Outside the door, Crissimar took the gold dagger out of a sheath on his belt and held it in his hand. He closed his eyes.  
“O great Thor, God over all, guide me and help me do what is best for my people.” The dagger began to glow, and as it brightened, the wards that showed up as glowing gold lines all around the castle began to flash and vanish. Crissimar began to change too, and after a moment, both he and the dagger turned invisible. With a wave of the dagger, the bed chamber doors blew open, and Margo was on her feet fast to see why. She took a few steps toward the doors, but then they closed on their own.  
“The fuck?” Margo said, and then the air began to shimmer as she backed away. Crissimar stepped closer to her, and he smiled as he saw her in her bra and panties.  
What a shame…. He thought to himself as he held the dagger tight in both his hands then jutted it straight into Margo’s chest. She felt the air shift and had put her hands up in a battle magic pose, but it did little to prevent the attack. The blade ended up between her breasts, and she barely had time to utter a syllable before a spray of blood erupted out of the wound. Margo’s face, the bed, the floor, and the nightstand were spattered with blood. She saw Crissimar, slowly dropped to her knees, then fell over.  
A ripple went through the castle, and it stopped everyone cold. Eliot stood up then looked at Alex, the color draining from his face. He began breathing hard.  
“Margo…” He said turned to see the three other male monarchs felt it too. Quentin, Idri, Gabriel, Eliot, Alex, all ran from the room.  
“Secure the Vikings!” Alex’s voice carried back into the room, and the knights all drew their swords and surrounded the Vikings.  
Eliot burst through the double doors and saw the carnage that lay within. His eyes were huge as he walked around the bed and saw Margo laying on the floor.  
“Bambi…” He said as his eyes grew bright, then his amber eyes flashed. The rest of the men came in behind him, but the doors quickly slammed. The air around Eliot began to crackle, and he slowly raised his head.  
“I know you’re here.” Eliot spoke calmly, then raised his hands up to his eyes in the formed square, and threw his arms out. Crissimar appeared in the corner, and Eliot raises his head to see the Viking king. The anger in Eliot’s face had turned it red, and around him, the air was sizzling, with a small flame that was traveling around him like a glowing moth.  
“Crissimar!” Idri, Gabriel, and Quentin all charged him, but Eliot’s power had created a power shield that actually protected him.  
Alex pulled his sword from the sheath and held it straight out.  
“Sire, may I dispatch him?” The blond knight said, his mouth tightened in a sneer.  
“Back off, Sir Alex. If anyone will get justice for Margo, it’ll be those that called her wife.” Eliot could barely get the words out, and he raised his hands. Alex lowered his sword, but he kept it in his hand.  
Crissimar did not flinch or back off. He straightened his spine and raised his chin.  
“Whether you understand or not, I did what I did for my people.”  
Eliot opened his mouth to say something when a small bang got his attention. He turned and saw Margo’s tarnished box shift on the nightstand.  
Quentin wiped his eyes and turned too to see the box move again.  
“What is that?” He asked Gabriel and Idri.  
“Margo’s box.” Gabriel said, and Idri took a step toward it when it fell off the nightstand and landed in the puddle of blood around Margo. A beam of light emerged from the keyhole, and it widened and scanned Margo like a giant computer. The lock clicked: the lid popped open and slid to one side. A bright light came out of the box, and a woman who looked exactly like Margo emerged. The woman wore a gold gown, and it seemed to glow. Eliot went over to her; he thought for the briefest of moment that it was the ghost of Margo, but she had light-colored eyes and the shape of her lips was different.  
“Are you…?” Eliot asked, and she smiled.  
“You know who I am, but you don’t at the same time.” She said, then touched the crown on her head.  
“But first . . .” The woman crouched down and pulled the dagger out of Margo’s chest. She set it down and placed her hand over the gash. The wound began to glow, then it slowly sealed up, and Margo stirred.  
“Oh Ember, she’s alive.” Eliot said, then touched his belly as he watched Margo sit up and touch between her breasts. The wound from the dagger was gone, and the only hint it was there was the blood stains on her bra. She raised her head to see the woman, and a flash from the past came back to her. The face was familiar, and it made her heart start to beat hard as tears began to fill her eyes.  
“You’re my-”  
“Mother.” Elizabeth Hanson said, then helped her daughter to her feet. The two women stared at each other, and for a moment, Margo thought she was hallucinating from her recent death. Elizabeth smiled as she placed a hand on Margo’s cheek.  
“You grew up to be so beautiful.” She said softly as her eyes grew bright. Margo looked up at the crown on her head.  
“I… I don’t understand.” She said, her voice thick with emotion, then she saw the opened gold box. “What happened?”  
“Let’s deal with one thing at a time.” Elizabeth said, then both mother and daughter turned to Crissimar; the Viking king’s mouth formed a perfect circle.  
“Oh, Thor!” He said as he dropped to his knees.  
“I did it for my people, I only want to do what is best for them!”  
“By putting a dagger between my tits?” Margo snapped, and Elizabeth gently patted her hand.  
“The Norse gods demand purity of blood to keep magic strong in our land!”  
“And that’s exactly what you tried to destroy!” Elizabeth shouted, then she waved her hand and the Viking king rose to his feet. She walked over to where Crissimar floated and threw him against the wall with her power.  
“Do you see this crown on my head? Do you know where I got it?”  
Margo watched the scene unfold and went over to Eliot, who hugged her hard, blood covered or not.  
“Margo…” He said then the other kings came over and each one grabbed Margo, and hugged her so hard that she nearly fell over.  
Elizabeth paused a moment to watch Margo reunite with her spouses, and the love she saw between them all only fueled her anger.  
“Do you see what you almost did? Denied my daughter her life, and her child as well?” She watched as Idri dropped to his knees and kissed her small belly; there were tears rolling down his face. Margo gave him a watery smile as she stroked her hand along his head. Elizabeth waved her hand again, and the opened tarnished gold box floated in the air. She closed her eyes and it began to glow, then a small gold light came out of the box. The firefly-like light rose in the air, then it flashed, and the image of a man in pure black appeared, and he, too, wore a crown on his head. He was light skinned, with thick black curly hair and sharp dark eyes, and he looked like a distant relative of their servant, Tick, only with lighter skin color and a longer, thinner frame.  
“Peter…” Elizabeth said then held her hand out to him. He smiled, and when he did, Eliot blinked because he suddenly realized who this man was. He went and got a black silk robe for Margo out of their closet and put it around her. Margo once again wore a stunned expression on her face as she watched her parents.  
Crissimar struggled against the power that held him to the wall. He looked down to see the dagger on the floor and he closed his eyes, trying to get it to him. The dagger slowly rose in the air and began to float toward him. Peter caught it in midair and held it up, then took the outstretched hand of his wife.  
“This is the dagger you used on my child?” Peter asked in a deep booming voice that made the Viking king flinch.  
“Blood purity is important to my people.” Crissimar squeaked out, and Peter shook his head before lifting his gaze to see Margo.  
“Jasmina.” He said, and Elizabeth sighed.  
“They named her Margo. The earthlings.” Elizabeth said, and he held his hand out to his daughter.  
“I know you have questions.”  
Margo wrapped the robe around herself, trying to stop the shivering she suddenly felt that had nothing to do with her death or the cold. She looked up at Eliot, her dark eyes questioning, and he smiled as he smoothed her loose hair from around her face.  
“You wanted answers, Margo. I think you’re about to get them.” Eliot said softly, then kissed her forehead.  
Margo went over to her parents, and Peter took her hand and looked her over.  
“The last time we were all together like this--” Peter started to say, then his dark eyes grew bright.  
“We were attacked.” He sighed, then looked at Elizabeth.  
“Your mother is from earth, but I am not.” Peter turned to look at Idri. “He took over for me when I disappeared.”  
“Idri.” Margo said then the former Lorian king’s eyes grew wide. “Shalimar?”  
Quentin gasped beside him, and all eyes turned to him.  
“I read about this!” Quentin said as he went over to the bookshelf in the room, and pulled out on of his Fillory books.  
“King Shalimar ruled Loria, but then one day he vanished.” Quentin tucked a hair behind his ear as he hastily flipped through the book. He stopped when he saw a picture and turned the book around to show the picture of the dark-haired man wearing the same crown.  
“See? According to the book, Shalimar just vanished and Idri was appointed king.”  
“Not vanished… was killed when he and his earth wife tried to establish a life there. The Pennon saw to that.” Peter touched Margo’s cheek. “You were so young, and they had attacked several times before, but this night they were prepared. We fought them as best we could, but in the end we were killed, and they carted our bodies away.”  
Margo’s eyes widened as she remembered what was in her file. “I was found alone, and covered with blood, but there was no trace of either of you.”  
“The Lorians returned to earth to find the princess, but you were gone too.”  
“Taken to some filthy, disgusting orphanage where I stayed for 12 years before running away.” Margo scowled, but then it faded and she took her father and mother by the hand.  
“I was so angry for a long time because I knew nothing of either of you. I had to go out and find my own family.” Margo turned to see Eliot, Idri, Quentin, and Gabriel and she smiled at them.  
“If not for what happened, I wouldn’t have any of them, my kingdom, or my baby on the way. I wouldn’t change any of that.”  
“Princess Jasmina.” Quentin said with a smile as he closed the book and pressed it to his chest.  
Margo straightened her spine, then looked over at Crissimar. “So, what do we do about the Vikings and their assassination attempt on the Princess of Loria and the High Queen of Fillory?” She turned to look at Eliot. “Do we play the Red Queen card?”  
“Sweetie, that’s so cliché.” Eliot went over to her and slipped an arm around her.  
“And what would we do with a severed head anyway? Turn it into a table lamp?” Eliot then looked at Crissimar. “Though I should, considering what you did.”  
“Would that really be best for your two kingdoms?” Peter put his arm around Elizabeth and kissed her gently before he touched his forehead to hers. Elizabeth closed her eyes as she nuzzled the side of her husband’s face.  
“We created the gold box as a way to tell you the truth, if the worst should happen.”  
“And it did.” Peter said softly. “But, I praise the god for you surviving, and I see the love your spouses have for you.”  
Elizabeth lowered Crissimar to the floor with her power. The Viking king took a moment to adjust his clothing, then his gaze turned to Margo.  
“I asked for your lineage because the Norse gods demand the best for the people.” Crissimar then slowly sunk to his knees. “I attacked you, Queen Margo and I was wrong. I’ll do what I must for my kingdom, even if it means surrendering my life for what I’ve done.”  
Quentin, Gabriel, and Idri all went to surround Margo and Eliot. The high king and high queen looked at one another.  
“Normally, anyone that did what you did, I’d be wearing your balls as accessories.” Margo moved away from her group of spouses and stood over Crissimar. She saw that Peter had the gold dagger, and she took it from him and looked it over.  
“Its beautiful.” Margo looked down to see the dried blood that was still on her chest.  
“And sharp.” She sighed. “Crissimar, I’m a queen and I get that the people come first.” Margo reached out and touched his chin then raised it so they were eye to eye.  
“My people mean everything to me, to us.” She corrected herself. “You came here to make peace with Fillory so both our kingdoms could prosper. I think despite what happened, we need to talk about that.” The tension in the air lightened considerably; Alex still had his sword out and he put it back in its sheathe. Eliot too breathed out a sigh of relief.  
“High Queen Bambi is wise.” Eliot went to his wife.  
“Rise, King Crissimar.” He took the gold dagger, flipped it in his hand, and offered the handle to the Viking king.  
“Sheathe your dagger. We have a lot to discuss.”  
King Crissimar stood up, took the dagger, then bowed to Eliot and Margo.  
“I think we do, your majesties.” 

*** ********* ***********

The talks between King Crissimar and the monarchy of Fillory lasted all day and into the night. There were breaks in between, but by suppertime, things were winding down. A supper was prepared for the royal family and the guests. The meal consisted of fine venison steaks, roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables, rice, mashed potatoes, fresh baked rolls, and plenty of wine. Margo finished her meal and excused herself. The tales of the high queen’s resurrection spread through the castle, and the voices of earlier gossip were now whispers of awe as she walked down the hall. Finally, she opened the double doors to the royal bed chamber and went inside.  
Margo removed her crown, set it on the nightstand, and disappeared into the closet. She emerged a short time later with her pink plushie robe over a long pair of fuzzy matching pink pajamas with flamingoes on them. The bedroom had a window box, which featured a built- in seat, and Margo frequently liked to sit there and look out at the amazing view. Before taking her customary seat at the window, Margo opened her nightstand and pulled out the tarnished gold box. She went back to the window, sat down on the built-in cushion, and began to turn the box over in her hands.  
The snow had returned, and she watched as the fat white flakes began to cover the already-frozen ground. Margo took in a deep breath, then sighed it out as she replayed what had happened in her mind.  
“Penny for your thoughts?” The voice of Eliot interrupted her thoughts, and she whipped her head to see him coming into the double doors.  
“I’ve already died once today, don’t need a sequel.” Margo set the box down on her lap.  
“Thought you were busy entertaining?”  
Eliot slipped into the closet, and he came out wearing a black silk robe with a gold embroidered dragon on the back of it. The hanging open robe revealed black flannel lounge pants that also had big gold dragons on it, and he tied his robe closed. Eliot sat across from Margo in the window box and held out his arms to her.  
Margo quickly crawled over to Eliot and into his lap. She held the gold box in her hands as she adjusted the way she sat. Sitting side saddle on Eliot’s long legs, Margo leaned her head on his left shoulder.  
“Here…” Eliot said as he took the box from her hands and looked at it.  
“You finally know the truth Sweetie, but if you don’t mind, there’s a few things I want to ask about.”  
“I figured you would.” Margo said softly. “Go ahead. Before they went away, my parents and I had a really long talk, and they told me everything.”  
“How did they even meet?” Eliot asked as he stroked a hand over Margo’s loose hair.  
“Open the box.” She said as she raised her head. Eliot took the box and slide the lock open. He ran his finger over the keyhole and the seam of the box popped open. Inside the gold box, Eliot saw a small glowing old-fashioned brass key.  
“A key? To what?”  
“To Earth, apparently.” Margo picked the key up and looked at it. “Doesn’t seem like much does it?”  
“Not really.” Eliot looked into the box and shook it a little to see if anything else came out of it.  
“Take the key, put it in a lock, and turn the key toward the left.” Margo said then handed him the key.  
“All right.” Eliot stared at Margo and she slowly rose off of his lap.  
“Hey!” Margo laughed as she hovered in midair. Eliot got up then she slowly sank back down to the cushion.  
Eliot took the key and went over to the bathroom door. He stuck it in the lock and gave it a twist to the left. The wooden bathroom door shimmered, and dissolved away to reveal flashing neon light. Eliot creased his brow as he stepped closer.  
“The fuck?” He then stuck his head into the open door and looked around. He craned his neck around the edge and saw the flashing Coca-Cola sign located in Times Square.  
“Holy shit!” Eliot pulled back then tugged the key out. The flashing neon light faded and returned to the master bathroom.  
“This is a key to New York City.”  
“New York City is the key. It’s the place they met, fell in love, and had me. Mom was a student at NYU working at some hipster coffeehouse and Dad went there whenever he came to Earth. She noticed him, and would slip him free coffee, and the next thing you know…”  
“Romeo and Juliet over latte?” Eliot sat back down in the window box, then pouted.  
“And now I want a latte.”  
Margo once again climbed into Eliot’s lap. She took the box from him and set it aside, then wrapped her arms around his neck.  
“What is it, Bambi?” He stroked a big hand over her hair as she frowned. Margo closed her eyes as Eliot touched her, the touch soothing her a little.  
“Just feel like things are unsettled. I got some answers, but still have some lingering questions.”  
“You’re a princess of Loria, and the high queen of Fillory. You live here, but maybe what you need to do is go see Loria, which is technically your kingdom too.”  
“A trip to Loria.” Margo sighed. “Idri is here now, Ess has taken over, and what do I tell him about the fact my father was the king?”  
“The truth above all else.” Eliot said plainly, a serious expression on his face.  
“All the time we’ve been here, we’ve never stepped foot in Loria.” Margo sighed, then reached up to take Eliot’s hand and laced her fingers between his. He knew her so well that he could tell she had a lot of lingering doubts.  
“You found out a lot these past few days, Margo. You need to give yourself some time to sort things out.” Eliot touched her chin and raised it so he could see her eyes.  
“Figure out some things, and then we can go to Loria, or even back to New York if you need to, okay?”  
“How Princess Jasmina got her groove back?” Margo gave a small smile, which made Eliot smile too.  
“You never lost it, Jasmina, which is a very beautiful and fitting name for you.”  
A knock rang out on the double doors, they opened and Quentin poked his head in. The young king wore a tarnished silver helmet with two giant white horns on it. The horns were outlined with rubies, emeralds, and diamonds, and both Eliot and Margo looked at each other.  
“Hey check it out!” Quentin strutted into the room, then spun and put his hands on his hips in a super hero style pose. With the hunter green pants, and shirt, he looked like the grownup version of Peter Pan.  
“Bambi…” Eliot blinked. “I think we need to change his name from Quentin the Maladjusted to Quentin the-”  
“Horny?” Margo finished as she got up and went over to him. “All right, show me the size of your sword.” She poked his waist, and Quentin laughed as he tugged her into a hug.  
“Maybe later.” Quentin kissed her hair. “So glad you’re okay.” He said softly.  
“Me too.” Margo pulled back and kissed him.  
“King Crissimar wants you both to come back out.” Quentin still had his arms around Margo.  
“All right, duty calls.” Eliot said as he stood up and went into the closet to change.  
“Coming.” Margo let go of Quentin and followed him.  
From outside the closed doors, a burst of cheers rang out that echoed throughout the whole castle. Quentin turned at the noise then smiled.  
“Okay, okay, we’re coming!” Eliot came out in his grey paisley shirt and pants, then slipped his jacket on. Margo was in a gold and black dress and slipped a gold coat over it, which had a long train behind her.  
“Royalty, bitches!” Quentin took their hands and tugged them out into the hall. Eliot waved the doors closed with one flick of his wrist.  
Margo smiled and squeezed the hands of her husband’s. She held her head high and smiled.  
“Royalty, bitch, and I got the pedigree to prove it.” Margo said as she marched down the hall toward the dining room. 

END.


End file.
